Heckmondwike takeaway owners sold beef as lamb

Three Heckmondwike takeaway owners have been prosecuted for selling lamb curries which were actually made from beef.

Zishan Shafiq, 26, who owns the Pioneer Restaurant and Takeaway in Dewsbury with his brother Mohammed Nohman Shafiq, 29, bought the meat when he discovered lamb was much more expensive.

And Adnan Altaf Butt, 37, who co-owns Taj’s Asian Cuisine in Batley, ordered ‘meat’ from his supplier and sold it as lamb curry without checking what meat it was.

The Shafiq brothers, of High Street, appeared at Kirklees Magistrates Court on Wednesday. Butt, of Trueman Avenue, appeared in a separate hearing with business partner Abid Hussain, 31, of Loxley Street, Batley.

The court heard both businesses had been found to be selling beef as lamb following routine investigations by West Yorkshire Trading Standards last July.

Prosecutor Samantha Lawton said Zishan told Trading Standards officers he had informed all staff except his brother he bought beef instead of lamb, and they should tell customers.

Mitigating for the brothers, Leveene Hill said a breakdown of communication had led to the offence. Zishan was responsible for ordering the meat, and had explained to all staff except his brother, who designed the website and menu and who oversaw paperwork but had taken a step back after his baby was born.

Miss Lawton said the supplier for Taj’s Asian Cuisine said Butt and Hussain always ordered ‘meat’ and had never asked what it was.

Mitigating, Khaleeq Zaman said the pair had recently taken over the business from Hussain’s uncle and had carried on using the same menu and supplier, but accepted they should have checked what the meat was.

The court heard action had been taken to rectify matters in both cases.

Butt and Hussain admitted selling food not of the substance demanded by the purchaser and were each ordered to pay £500 fine, £650 costs and £50 victim surcharge.

The Shafiq brothers admitted selling food which was likely to mislead as to its substance and were each ordered to pay £1,000 fine, £678 costs and £100 victim surcharge.